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Snowflake

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Animal

The Resume

    (1963-November 24, 2003)
    Captured outside Nko, Equatorial Guinea and sold to Catalan primatologist Jordi Sabater Pi (October 1, 1966)
    Western lowland albino gorilla housed at the Barcelona Zoological Park for 37 years
    First albino gorilla kept in captivity
    Fathered 22 offspring with three different females, none albino
    Subject of two books: 'Floquet per sempre' (Snowflake Forever), written by Pi, and 'Memòries d'en Floquet de Neu' (Snowflake's Memories)
    Euthanized due to advanced skin cancer at age estimated between 38-40

Why he might be annoying:

    He was named Nfumu Ngi, meaning 'white gorilla,' when captured.
    After National Geographic dubbed him 'Snowflake,' he was also called Copito de Nieve (Spanish) and Floquet de Neu (Catalan), so he had 4 different names.
    He was grouchy and ill-tempered.
    His vision was poor due to his albinism, causing him to at times lash out unexpectedly.
    His favorite food was yogurt.
    In his final years he weighed 220 pounds, but in 1997 he was up to 420 pounds and put on a diet.
    He became depressed toward the end of his life and was given a pharmaceutical cocktail of antidepressants, antibiotics and anti-tumor drugs.

Why he might not be annoying:

    His mother was killed by land developers and he was found clutched in his dead mother's arms.
    He was Barcelona's official city mascot.
    Postcards with his mug on them were hot sellers sought by tourists.
    He helped educate zoo visitors about the plight gorillas must face in the wild.
    His youngest offspring died just 3 months before him.
    He lived to see many of his grandkids, er - grandgorillas.
    Already the zoo star, when it was announced he was dying of skin cancer due to his albinism, attendance skyrocketed with visitors wanting to say their final goodbyes.
    The average lifespan of a wild gorilla is 25 years, so he lived a long life.

Credit: Scar Tactics


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 6 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 7 Votes: 28.57% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 13 Votes: 23.08% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 11 Votes: 18.18% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 9 Votes: 22.22% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 11 Votes: 27.27% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 16 Votes: 56.25% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 24 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 75 Votes: 49.33% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 12 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 26 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 78 Votes: 41.03% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 112 Votes: 34.82% Annoying
    In 2007, Out of 285 Votes: 45.26% Annoying
    In 2006, Out of 597 Votes: 40.87% Annoying